[[image:data:image/jpeg;base64,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 width="194" height="235" align="center" caption="Image result for rene descartes"]]
Biography:
Rene Descartes was born in La Haye (which is now Descartes), France on March 31st 1596. Beacuse his mother died when he was very young, he was raised mostly by his grandmother and his great uncle.in 1606 Descartes attended the Jesuit college at La Fleche, which was established by Henry IV. While there, him and other young men studied for careers in military engineering, the judiciary, as well as government administration. His studies there such as metaphysics, natural philosophy, and ethics well equipped him to be the philosopher he came to be. Later, in 1610, Descartes went to Poitiers, and got a degree in law there. During the time he was there, revolts against the King Louis XIII took place. Descartes traveled, and even joined the army briefly. It was through this experience that he met the Dutch scientist and philosopher Isaac Beeckman, who would later become a great influence to Descartes. In 1622 Descartes moved to Paris, where he lived a life of entertainment for a time, going to the court, concerts, theaters, gambling, and riding and fencing. However, when not enjoying himself, he hid from the friends he had made to write and work privately. Descartes was never married, however he had a daughter in 1635 while living in the Netherlands. France was too busy for him to continue his work in peace, so he had moved there. During some of the last years of his life, Descartes returned to France to oversee some financial business, as well as make sure some of his works were published into French. He died on February the 11th, in Sweden.
School of Thought:
Rene Descartes is often called the "Father of Modern Philosophy". This is because of his opposition to traditional Scholastic-Aristotelian philosophy and his development of the new mechanistic sciences. His philosophy was built on the idea of "radical doubt", which says nothing that is perceived or sensed is true. His ideas differed greatly from those in the early 1600's because their ideas were more feeling based. His approach to ideas were different moreso than the ideas themselves. He believed that before anything, one needs to go "back to the basics" essentially, and put together what you know to be true. For Descartes, it was just the statement that he did indeed exist, which led to his now famous saying "cogito ergo sum", which is Latin for "I think, therefore I am." Descartes thought the early Scholastic models to be faulty becaused they relied too much on sensation as the source for everything. He counters this through addressing it with his method of doubt. This was taking something that had even the slightest bit of doubt, and using that doubt to clear the way for Descartes to search for the absolute truth. then he seeks to find something that lies beyond all doubt. Descartes out with the "I exist", which he finds to be absolutely certain through his saying "I think therefore I am". If we can think, then according to Descartes, then we can "be", which means indeed we are living, and "being." This Descartes says leads to God's existence, because God tells us we exist, and if we have no doubt that we do exist, God must exist because he tells us we exist, so therefore God is not a deceiver.
Once a conclusion is reached, Descartes can rebuild his previous doubted beliefs off of this, knowing that he is starting with certain beliefs that are not doubted, such as "I exist". These beliefs include another major school of thought from Descartes, the idea that the body is external to the mind. This idea is known as "mind-body dualism", which is an extremely popular idea still used today. What this basically says is that the body and mind are both very different. The mind is a thinking, yet non extended thing, whereas the body is an extended, non thinking thing. This means they are both not able to exist without the other.
Descartes argued with the traditional Scholastics because they (like Aristotle) said that when we are born, we are born essentially without fault, and with a "clean slate", and everything/all knowledge comes from sensation. However, Descartes said that our senses sometimes can deceive us, so we cannot rely on our sensations for everything. Descartes replaced the uncertain premesis gotten from sensation wuth the absolute certainty of the ideas we get from the mind alone.
Biography:
Rene Descartes was born in La Haye (which is now Descartes), France on March 31st 1596. Beacuse his mother died when he was very young, he was raised mostly by his grandmother and his great uncle.in 1606 Descartes attended the Jesuit college at La Fleche, which was established by Henry IV. While there, him and other young men studied for careers in military engineering, the judiciary, as well as government administration. His studies there such as metaphysics, natural philosophy, and ethics well equipped him to be the philosopher he came to be. Later, in 1610, Descartes went to Poitiers, and got a degree in law there. During the time he was there, revolts against the King Louis XIII took place. Descartes traveled, and even joined the army briefly. It was through this experience that he met the Dutch scientist and philosopher Isaac Beeckman, who would later become a great influence to Descartes. In 1622 Descartes moved to Paris, where he lived a life of entertainment for a time, going to the court, concerts, theaters, gambling, and riding and fencing. However, when not enjoying himself, he hid from the friends he had made to write and work privately. Descartes was never married, however he had a daughter in 1635 while living in the Netherlands. France was too busy for him to continue his work in peace, so he had moved there. During some of the last years of his life, Descartes returned to France to oversee some financial business, as well as make sure some of his works were published into French. He died on February the 11th, in Sweden.
School of Thought:
Rene Descartes is often called the "Father of Modern Philosophy". This is because of his opposition to traditional Scholastic-Aristotelian philosophy and his development of the new mechanistic sciences. His philosophy was built on the idea of "radical doubt", which says nothing that is perceived or sensed is true. His ideas differed greatly from those in the early 1600's because their ideas were more feeling based. His approach to ideas were different moreso than the ideas themselves. He believed that before anything, one needs to go "back to the basics" essentially, and put together what you know to be true. For Descartes, it was just the statement that he did indeed exist, which led to his now famous saying "cogito ergo sum", which is Latin for "I think, therefore I am." Descartes thought the early Scholastic models to be faulty becaused they relied too much on sensation as the source for everything. He counters this through addressing it with his method of doubt. This was taking something that had even the slightest bit of doubt, and using that doubt to clear the way for Descartes to search for the absolute truth. then he seeks to find something that lies beyond all doubt. Descartes out with the "I exist", which he finds to be absolutely certain through his saying "I think therefore I am". If we can think, then according to Descartes, then we can "be", which means indeed we are living, and "being." This Descartes says leads to God's existence, because God tells us we exist, and if we have no doubt that we do exist, God must exist because he tells us we exist, so therefore God is not a deceiver.
Once a conclusion is reached, Descartes can rebuild his previous doubted beliefs off of this, knowing that he is starting with certain beliefs that are not doubted, such as "I exist". These beliefs include another major school of thought from Descartes, the idea that the body is external to the mind. This idea is known as "mind-body dualism", which is an extremely popular idea still used today. What this basically says is that the body and mind are both very different. The mind is a thinking, yet non extended thing, whereas the body is an extended, non thinking thing. This means they are both not able to exist without the other.
Descartes argued with the traditional Scholastics because they (like Aristotle) said that when we are born, we are born essentially without fault, and with a "clean slate", and everything/all knowledge comes from sensation. However, Descartes said that our senses sometimes can deceive us, so we cannot rely on our sensations for everything. Descartes replaced the uncertain premesis gotten from sensation wuth the absolute certainty of the ideas we get from the mind alone.
Major Writings:
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8rYEcRypYc
Sources: